Control for wheel rolling machine



April 12, 1960 c. F. CHARTRAND ET AL 2,932,223

coNTEoL Foa WHEEL ROLLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1954 TH EIB ATTDENEV April 12, 1960 c. F. CHARTRAND ETAL 2,932,223

CONTROL FOR WHEEL ROLLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1954 N NS wwws 1NVENToR5. KURT R. STADTHAUS BYCARLTON F. CHARTEAND April 12, 1960 c. F. CHARTRAND r-:T AL 2,932,223

CONTROL FOR WHEEL ROLLING MACHINE Filed oet. e, 1954 L :s sheets-sheet s CONTROL FOR WHEEL ROLLING MACHINE Carlton F. Chartrand, Cincinnati, and Kurt R. Stadthaus, Madeira, Ohio, 'assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 6, 1954, Serial No. 460,694 Claims. (Cl. Ell-16) This invention relates to a Wheel rolling machine, and, in particular, to the controls for operating the wheel rolling machine so as to roll out either flat or contoured tapered metallic wheels or disks of desired shape and form.

In application, Serial No. 453,628, tiled September 1, 1954, now abandoned in favor of copending continuationirl-part application Serial No. 734,672, tiled May l2, 1958 a wheel or disk rolling machine is disclosed for rolling out a metallic wheel having a hub, a web and a rim of desired cross section. This is accomplished by providing a plurality of pairs of opposing rollers adapted to roll out a finished contoured wheel according to a pre-determined schedule. It is, therefore, an object of this inventi-on to provide a control for each pair of the rollers and to coordinate them so as to roll out a contoured wheel according to a pre-determined schedule.

Previous methods of rolling out wheels or disks have not provided for a finished contoured wheel having an integral hub and rim as a result of the rolling out process. These previous methods either employ a at blank upon which a pair of pointed surface rollers or a roller acting on one side only roll out a wheel. However, by these methods, the ow of material is unpredictable since the wheel tends to buckle, tear apart, or result in a dished warped section. These previously known methods do not provide a means for controlling the flow of the material. In these methods there is the tendency of buckling and distorting as a result of the residual stresses set up in the wheel. It is, therefore, another object of this invention to provide the necessary coordinated controls for the rollers to eliminate the above set forth difiiculties.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a control for the wheel rolling machine so as to control the rate of reduction of the Vweb and the rim according to a pre-determined schedule, whereby the rate of the annular growth of the web is coordinated or synchronized with the annular growth of the rim as the thickness of each of the parts is reduced in thickness.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a control for a wheel rolling machine provided with a means for holding a wheel blank in a chucking device which turns the wheel blank, and having a plurality of pairs of rollers acting on each side of the wheel disk, with a control for actuating the pairs of rollers in a vertical direction, and a control for operating at least one of the pairs of rollers so as to traverse in a radial direction, and including a means for coordinating or synchronizing the traverse in the radial direction with the movement of the rollers in a vertical direction so that they are a function of the rate of reduction of the thickness and the increase in diameter of the wheel blank.

It is a still more specific object of this invention to provide a wheel rolling machine in which means are provided for coordinating the reduction in the thickness of the web with the increase in diameter of the wheel, the means including separate cams connected to a comate-ntI 2 mon shaft in such a manner so as to move an increment amount with each revolution of the shaft, the increment movement being transmitted to the rolers for rolling out the wheel.

Briefly stated, and in accordance with one aspect of this invention a control means is provided for a disc forming machine in which the disc is contoured in that it has dierent thicknesses, and the machine contains pairs of opposing rollers the paths of travel of which for adjacent pairs are in overlapping relation one to the other to work on the different thicknesses simultaneously, all pairs of rollers being responsive to a common signal, the controls actuating the pairs of rollers according to a predetermined schedule determined by the rate of reduction in thickness and radial growth of one thickness with respect to another, one or more pairs of rollers being varied in accordance with speed, radial traverse and distance between a pair of rollers, while others being varied only with respect to the distance between a pair of rollers.

These and other objects will become more apparent when read in the light of the accompanying drawings and speciiication, where similar parts have like numbers, and wherein the parts will be identified by specific names for convenience but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the prior art will permit, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the controls for operating and coordinating an individual roller mill unit in a vertical direction according to a pre-determined schedule;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the controls for operating and coordinating one of the roller mill units operation on the wheel in traverse;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of theycontrols for manually setting one pair of the roller mill units, which does not traverse the wheel during operation, before the rolling operation begins;

Figure 4 is an isometric partially schematic view showing the inter-relationship of the rollers on the disk blank;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a disk with pairs of rollers thereon;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a pre-formed blank and a final formed disk;

Figure 7 is a graph showing the growth lof the disk from a blank to a completed disk in which the ordinates designate the thickness and the abscissas the diameter.

Driving mechanism Referring to Figures l and 4, the vertical vcontrol for pressure programming on the wheel web, one roll mill unit is shown as an example of the vertical control for each roll mill unit all of which are represented together in Fig. 4 wherein, the driving mechanism for the wheel blank comprises a motor 10 having a speed control means 10a and connected to a center shaft or spindle 12 by a mechanical means such as suitable gearing, belting or the like as shown at 14. The motor, therefore, rotates the shaft 12 to give positive rotation to a wheel blank 1,6. The wheel blank 16 is positioned on a rotating base member 18. Mounted on the end of the spindle or center shaft 12 is a clamp or chucking device 20 adapted to clamp and hold the wheel 16 in position on the rotatable base support member 18. The other end of the center shaft or spindle 12 terminates in a piston rod 13, and piston mounted in the hydraulic cylinder 21 for exerting the clamping force on the wheel blank 16. The hydraulic cylinder is connected to a solenoid controlled four-way hydraulic three-position and spring centered valve 22. Both sides of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder 21 are connected to this hydraulic valve 22. The hydraulic valve 22 is in turn connected to a source of hydraulic uid 26 and a slump or retum 24. Each side of the hydraulic valve 22 is provided with solenoids 28 and 30. A pressure switch 32 is shown connected to the hydraulic circuit on the closing side of the circuit of the cylinder 21 as shown at'34.

By electrically energizing solenoid 30 the valve 22 will be positioned so as to permit hydraulic fluid to flow to the upper portion of hydraulic cylinder 21. This will force the piston and piston rod down'so as to close the chucking device, thereby clamping the wheel blank in position.y By de-energizing the solenoid 30y and energizing the solenoid 28 the valve 22 will be moved to a position to permit hydraulic fluid to flow from the upper portion of the cylinder into the opposite end of the cylinder so as to raise the piston and chucking device thereby permitting the removal of the wheel blank 16. The pressure switch 32 is electrically interlocked with the motor 10 and with each of thethree roller mill unit motors 90 so as to prevent rotation ofthe blank 16 and the pairs of rollers 40, 42 and 44 before the wheel blank 16 is securely clamped in place. This can be done by sev- '1 eral well-knownl electrical circuits and is therefore not shown. It is to be'noted that only one of the three roller mill unit motors 90 is shown in Figure 4 for simplicity of drawing. However, it is to be understood that pairs of rollers 40 and 44 will include in each of its mechanisms a gearbox 92, a motor 90 and control 90a connected with the rollers through a support 101a.

Vertical roller control The controls for the reduction of the thickness of the web and rim of the Wheel blank 16 are unique in' that the technique used in this invention isv to control the reduction of the webthickness and radial growth by an incremental amount for each revolution ofthe wheel. The rate of reduction of the Wheel disk is determined from the metallurgical composition of the wheel and the amount of the total reduction is governed by the effects of cold working on the wheel, whereby, upon removing the wheel and subjecting it vto metallurgical treatments it is possible to determine the subsequent rolling operation necessary so the wheel can be rolled in successive stages Without encountering excessive detrimental forces which would cause the wheel to split or therim to break away from the web.

Reference is made to Figures4and 5 in which pairs of opposing rollers are positioned at pre-determined radial locations whereby their paths of travel for adjacent pairs such as rollers 40ancl 42 are in overlapping relationship one to the other and positioned angularly on the wheel blank so as to'compress all radial portions of the wheel simultaneously. Each pair of rollers will be designated as a roll mill unit. The hub roll mill unit 40 is shown positioned adjacent the hub of the wheel blank 16. The web roll mill unit 42 is shown positioned adjacent to the rim, and the rim roll mill unit 44 acts upon the rim of the wheel blank.

It is noted that in the embodiment shown, the roll mill unit at 40, once adjusted to position as described in connection with Fig. 3, remains in a lixed radial position relative to the central axis of the wheel while the wheel blank is reduced in thickness in the web. The roll mill unit at 44 similarly, in one embodiment, remains in a fixed radial position relative to'the central axis `of vthe wheel as the rim grows radially and angularly outwardly between this pair of rollers'as the rim is reduced in thickness. However, the roll mill unit 42, as described in connection with Figs. l and 2, acts upon the web'of the wheel near the rirnwand also moves radially outwardly with the growth of the rim. Inother words, the roll mill units 40'and 44 only have a vertical or separating controlled movement, whereas, roll` mill unit 42 traverses additionally in a radial direction outwardly to follow` the s wheel rim. Of course, it is noted that various contigurations of a wheel disk .can be obtained by varying the number of fixed and traversing roll mill units. Thus, as

shown in Figure 4, in other embodiments, rollers 44 can be adapted to move radially with the growth of the rim of blank 16 through the same type of mechanism shown in Figure 2. The rollers of each roll mill unit are generally conical in shape and the fixed rollers have their axes of intersection with the plane of the web or the rim at the center of rotation of the rollers and the axis of the wheel blank. The shape or taper of the rollers will substantially coincide with the arc or sector at a particular radius of curvature on the wheel. The distance traveled by one revolution of the rollers will be approximately equal to the length of the arc or sector at a particular radius of curvature on the wheel blank. In this manner the surface speed of the rollers and the wheel blank are substantially the same and no slippage occurs. Since the rollers 42 must move radially outwardly to follow the rim of the wheel blank, their axes will not normally intersect and the shape of the rollers will not coincide with the wheel sector at a particular radius of curvature. This will cause relative motion between the roller surface and the disk surface. These rollers are therefore changed when the friction factor becomes excessive. In this manner surface heating will be reduced to a practical minimum and will result in a wheel having a smooth clean surface. Of course, during production several wheels can be formed on this set of rollers before changing, or several machines having successive rollers can be used.

Inorjder to move the roll mill units 40, 42 and 44 in a vertical direction a control mechanism for each unit, isprovided, Figs. 1 and 4, which includes a mechanical means 41 including pressure plate or links 41a and 4117, which may be a toggle link arrangement or the like described in application Serial No. 453,628, filed September l, 1954, now abandoned in favor of co-pending continuation-impart application Serial No. 734,672, filed May l2 i958. This mechanical means is. operated by a hydraulic cylinder 45 having a'piston rod 46 pivotally connected to the mechanical means as shown at 48. In Figure 4,` for simplicity of drawing, only one vertical direction control mechanism is shown. However, it is to be understood that similar mechanisms arel connected with pairs of rollers 40 and 44 as well as rollers 42. A hydraulic servo-mechanism 50 whose function is to correlate the closing of the rollers towards each other in compression, is carried by a bracket 47 which is mounted on'a slide or the like near the pivot connection 48. A properly journaled gib 52 is provided for supporting the moving parts of the mechanical device 41, the piston rod `46`an`d` the hydraulic servo-mechanism 50 so-as to guide them in a straight line. The hydraulic-cylinder 45 is cnnected to an amplifier valve 54. l The amplifier valve 54 is"connec`ted toa source of hydraulic fluid 55 andV a return 57. The amplifier valve 5,4 is controlled by opposing 'hydraulicV pressure means as shown at 56 and 58. The amplifier valve amplifies the signal from the hydraulic servo-mechanism 50. If desired, however, the hydraulic servo-mechanism 50 can be connected directly to the cylinder 45.

The vshaft or spindle 12 is provided with a plurality of gears in a gear box in such a manner ,so as to be connected to a shaft 72. n The shaft 72 is connected to the calm 74 through a magnetic cluth76 sov as to rotate the carn'74. The Vcam 74 has ayperipheral configuration to conform with the incremental reduction required for each revolution of the wheel blank 16 at a particular roll mill unit. The cam 74 is connected to the gearsin gear box 70` such a manner that for one revolution of `the wheel 16, the cam 74 ywill make aportpnof -a revolution as Vdetermined by the ratio of the gears in the gear box that Vare selected `for. a.A wheel havinga pre-determined configuration. The follower 78-rides on the'cam74 and it isin turn connected to the hydraulic servo-mechanism 56.' The hydraulic servo-mechanismvra'() is connected to a s orurccvofhydraulic fluid 79, and to the'hydraulicactuaktors 56 and 58 of the amplifier valve S4: The-hydraulic servo-mechanism is actuated 'by a solenoid 51. A differential pressure switch S is positioned in the hydraulic circuit of each of the hydraulic servo-mechanisms for each roll mill unit and is electrically interlocked (not shown) with magnetic clutch 76 to insure that all three of the roller mill units start simultaneously. Standard hydraulic devices such as relief valves, sequence valves, rate valves, check valves, etc., which are normally used in hydraulic circuits to insure proper operation, are not shown purely for simplicity of the description. These standard hydraulic devices are in no way intended to be a novel feature of the invention. Accordingly, any description of these devices is deemed unnecessary. hydraulic pressure reducing valve shown at 83, Fig. 1, includes follower 84, is connected with link or pressure plate 41b of link 41 and is controlled by cam 82 connected with link or pressure plate 41a of link 41, all of which serve to protect the frame of the roller mill units from excessive mechanical forces which would occur if the roller units were allowed to approach one to the other too closely.

Each pair of rollers is driven at the required rate of speed and is connected to a motor 90 through a gear reduction box 92. The speed of the motor 90 is synchronized with the speed of motor by synchronizing means 90a and 10a respectivelythrough connecting or linking means 90b so as to make the surface speed of the rollers equal to that of the surface speed of the wheel blank y16. This can be done by any standard method and is therefore not shown.

When a wheel blank is placed in the chuck 20 and clamped in position by means of the cylinder 21 and rotated, the rollers 40 are rotating and are in an open or separated position. By energizing the solenoid 51 the hydraulic servo-mechanism 50 will permit hydraulic uid to ow from its source to either of the hydraulic actuators 56 and/or 58 of the amplifier valve 54 which will, in turn, cause hydraulic iluid to ow to cylinder 45 so as to operate the piston 46, thereby moving the bracket 47, servo-mechanism 50 and actuating the mechanical device 41. This action will cause the cam follower 78 to move towards cam 74 the rollers remaining in an open position. When the cam follower 78 touches the cam 74, the forward motion caused by the cylinder 45 and piston rod 46 will stop because of the mechanical reversal of valve 50. Since the wheel blank 16 is being rotated by motor 10 through the mechanical drive 14, the camV 74 is started rotating by electrically energizing the magnetic clutch 76. As the cam 74 is rotated, it permits the cam follower 78 to follow the peripheral surface which in the particular arrangement shown is receding near the central axis. This action meters the ow of hydraulic fluid into cylinder 45 causing the piston rod 46 to move forward at the rate governed by the shape of the cam 74. This action is transmitted to the mechanical device 41 so as to move the rollers of the roll mill unit toward each other, thereby causing a reduction in the thickness of the web and the rim of the disk or the Wheel blank 16.

It is noted that each pair of rollers is provided with a cam having a different configuration since the rate of reduction of the thickness and radial growth of the wheel at the hub, web and rim are different.

Traversng mechanism VReferring to Figures 2 and 4, the traversingmechanism for the roll mill unit 42 is controlled by a hydraulic means. In Figure 4, it is to be understood that this same mechanism shown in connection with rollers 44 is to be included for rollers 42 shown in Figure 2 as described below. This traversing means isv in addition to the Vertical control. A roll mill unit 42 is connected to the lhydraulic cylinders 100 through a support 101. The hyldraulic cylinders 100 are connected by a system of con- .duits to the four-way spring centered valve 102. This four-way valve 102 is solenoid operated as shown at 104 and 106. Integrally attached to the roller mill frame through support 101 is a hydraulic servo-mechanism 105 operated by a solenoid 103. Connected to the hydraulic servo-mechanism 105 is an amplifier valve 107. If desired, the hydraulic servo-mechanism 105 can be directly connected to the cylinders 100. Also, connected to the hydraulic servo-mechanism 105 is a follower 109 which is in engagement with a cam 108. The cam 108 is connected to a shaft 110 which is connected to a gear box 112 through a magnetic clutch 114. The gear box 112 is mounted on the shaft 12 to provide rotation to shaft 110 when clutch 114 is actuated. The cam 108 then rotates by connection with the shaft 110 and has a peripheral configuration to conform with the incremental growth of the rim which was caused by the reduction of the web and the rim for each revolution of the disk or wheel as hereinbefore described.

In order to operate the rollers 42 in a radial direction the roll mill unit is controlled in the following manner, Fig. 2. At the beginning of the rolling cycle the rollers are placed in their relative position by moving the roll mill unit with hydraulic cylinders 100. When solenoid 104 is electrically energized, hydraulic fluid will be permitted to flow through the solenoid controlled four-way valve 102 into the hydraulic cylinder 100, thereby causing the roller units to move towards the central axis of the machine which is also the central axis of the wheel 16. When solenoid 106 is energized, and solenoid 104 de-energized, this action reverses itself and hydraulic fluid is permitted to ow through valve 102 to the opposite end of cylinders and the rolling mill units will move radially outwardly from the central axis of the machine and the wheel 16. When neither solenoids 104 or 106 are electrically energized, the roll mill units will remain in a pre-determined selected position.

When a disk or a wheel blank is to be rolled, the roll mill unit 42, having the rollers thereon that move radially, is controlled to follow the growth of the rim by means of the hydraulic servo-mechanism 105 under control of cam 108. In this specific control this feature is common to only roll mill unit 42. However, this control can be used with the other rollers if desired. When solenoid 103 is electrically energized, it will cause the servo-mechanism valve 105 to operate in a manner to permit hydraulic lluid to flow from its source to either of the hydraulic actuator valves 115 or 116 of the amplifier valve 107 which will, in turn, cause hydraulic fluid to liow to cylinder 100. If valve 115 is actuated, the roll mill unit 42 moves toward the central axis of the machine and the disk 16 until the cam follower 109 touches the cam 108. This action will cause the movement of the roll mill unit 42 to stop in view of the mechanical reversal of hydraulic servo-valve 105. When solenoid 103 is electrically energized solenoid 111 is also energized and solenoid 113 is de-energized by a suitable electric circuit. This action causes valve 115' to by-pass the flow of hydraulic uid to valve 107 and causes valve 116 to close which in effect causes hydraulic fluid to be made available for the action of valve 105. Shaft 12 causes rotation of the gears in the gear box 112, Figs. 2 and 4, which in turn causes rotation of shaft through the magnetic clutch 114. Magnetic clutch 114 is electrically energized simultaneously with magnetic clutch 76 in the vertical control mechanism to insure the simultaneous and coordinating starting of the rotation of the cams 74 and 108. When cam 108 is rotated, it causes cam follower 109 to follow the periphery of the kcam 108 which, controlling valves 105 and 107 admit uid to cylinders 100 to move the roller mill unit 42 out radially in accordance with the contour of the cam surface. Standard hydraulic devices such as relief valves, sequence valves, rate valves, check valves, etc., which are normally used in hydraulic circuits to insure proper operation, are not shown purely for simplicity of the description.

By this arrangement, the cams 74 and 108 are driven 'amazes fromthe same spindle :12. The other pairs ofk rollers are provided with the :necessary cams driven from the same spindle 1'2, Fig. 4, so 'as to be responsive to the same signal. The Ycams are dimensioned Vso as to provide the desirable change in distance between a pair of rollers, radial traverse .of the .rollers and` the change in speed of'therollers with a radial traverse change. These cams are designed to `comply with lthe .proper desired schedule which is found by referring to the wheels in Figure 6 and they graph shown in Figure. 7. The slid line in the graph represents the thickness of the rim f. The abscissa represents the diameter at point h on the solid line. The dotted line in the Vgraph represents the thickness of the web e. The abscissa represents the diameter also at point h. The hub is represented as d the thickness and diameter of which do not change. Three-cams 74 have a configuration which represent the thickness of the wheel and the other cam 108, the diameter of the wheel. In other words, when shaft 12 makes one revolution, cam 74 is moved an increment amount so as to operate the hydraulic means 50, e'tc. and mechanical means 41 in order to force the rollers 40, 42 and 44 together thereby reducing the wheel blank an increment amount for one revolution of the shaft 12. Also, for each revolution of shaft 12, cam 10S is moved an increment amount so as to send a signal to the hydraulic means and mechanical means 100, etc., and 101 thereby moving rollers 42 in a radial direction an increment amount for each revolution of shaft 12 andthe instantaneous decrease in thickness of the wheel. By referring to the graph the slope Yof the web curve is greater than the slope for the rim curve. This indicates that the riml decreases Vin thickness by a smaller amount than the web Vfor an increment in diameter. These growth curves are found as a result of a study of the material so as to keep it within its rupture point. If the rim increases in diameter faster than the web, rupture is liable to occur.

Setting mechanism Referring to Figure 3, setting mechanism is vshown for the roll mill unit such vas 40 which does not traversethe wheel during operation. The roll mill unit 4G, as an example in this described embodiment, is positioned' on the rim of the pre-formedr wheel blank at the beginning of the rolling operation, and remains there throughout the forming process. The roll mill unit 40 isA connected to the hydraulic cylinders 100' so as to operate therewith by having the support for the rollers mounted on theV piston rods of the hydraulic cylinders 10G. The cylinders are connected by a system of conduits to a four-way valve 102. The four-way valve is controlled by an operating means (not shown) for either energizing or de-energizingthe solenoids 104 or 106' of the solenoid operated valve 102". lThe valve is connected to a pump or sump so as to connect either end of the cylinders 100' to the sump or pum The roll mill unit 44 can also be provided with the setting mechanism.

In order to position the roll mill unit at the proper position` with respect to the wheel blank, the operating means (not shown) is positioned so as to energize one of the solenoids 104 or 106 and de-energize the other. These solenoids will operate the valve 102 so as to place one endl of the cylindersv 100' in communication With the sump andthe other with the pump. In this manner roll mill 'unit 44 or 46 can be movedV either radially toward'the central axis ofthe wheel or away from it until the desiredpostion is obtained. By this system of controls the variousv roll `units are operatedA simultaneously and coordinated with respect to each other so that they are capable of providing a means for rolling out a circular wheel thatis contoured to a desired coniiguration.

The above embodiment was described as an illustration of` the invention and was not intended to be limited thereby. Many modiiications and improvements may be made to the control unit within the spirit of the invention.

However, all of thesemodications and .improvements are intended to be included within'the intent and scope of this invention. v

. What we claim as new Yand desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

v:1.l In a control vfor a wheel rolling4 machine having a rotatable shaft and clamping means thereon forV clamping and Vrotat'mga wheel blank, a plurality of cooperating pairs of opposing rollers positionable `on said wheelblank comprising, a first pair of rollers positioned on the wheel rim and operable by said shaft, each of said rollers having compressive Vmotion toward its opposing roller, a second pair of said rollers on the wheel hub operable by said shaft and having similar compressive motion, and a third pair of rollers positioned on the Wheel web at the. rim, each roller 4having compressive Ymotion, cam means operable by said shaft, hydraulic means connected to said cam means and operable thereby to provide said compressive motion to each of said rollers as a function of the revolutions of said wheel blank, a second cam means operable by said shaft, hydraulic means connected to said second cam means and operable thereby to provide radially outward motion to said third pair of rollers simultaneously with said compressive motion of said rollers, said radial motion being a function of said cornpressive motion whereby said wheel blank is reduced in thickness as a function of the increase in diameter by the compressive actionof said rollers.

2. In a control for a wheel rolling machine, the cornbination of a plurality of operatively connected roll mill units each including cooperative opposed rollers, rst rotation means for rotatingr said rollers, iirst speed control means for 'controlling the lspeed of said first rotating means, a rotatable spindle, a chuck adapted to hold the wheel blank, second rotation means for rotating said spindle, second speed control means for controlling the speed of said 'second rotation means, synchronizingv means connected with said first and said second speed control means to coordinate the rotation of said rollers and the wheel blank, vertical control means operative by said spindle for progressively moving each of a pair of rollers of said roll mill units vertically one toward the other at a scheduled 'rate with each revolution of said spindle, and traversing meansoperative by said spindle for moving at least one of said pair of rollers at a scheduled rate radially outwardly from the axis of the wheel blank, the rate determined by said. second rotation means whereby vertical movemenrradial traverse and rotational speed of the rollers are coordinated one with the other and with the rotational speed of the wheel blank to control the rate of forming of the wheel blank according to a predetermined schedule. Y

3. in a control for a wheel rolling machine, the combination of turning means for holding and turning a wheel blank including a central hub portion, a peripheral rim portion and a web portion between said hub and said rim portions, a plurality of cooperating pairs of opposing rollers positioned on the wheel blank, said pairs of rollers having paths of movement in overlapping relationship one to the other, a first pair of said rollers being positioned on the web portion adjacent the rim portion, a second pair of said rollers being positioned on the web portion adjacent the hub portion, and a third pair of said rollers beingy positioned on the rim portion, said iirst, said second and saidV third pairs of rollers being operative vertically by said turningv means, iirst hydraulic means operatively connected with said turning means through first cam means tfrelat'e the speed of said turning means to said first hydraulic means thereby to schedule the vertical movement of'said'v pairs of rollers with the rotation of the wheel blank, one of said pairs of rollers being operative radially with respect tothe wheel blank by said turningy means, second hydraulic means operatively connected with said turning means through second cam means to relate the speed of said turning means to said second hydraulic means thereby to schedule the radial movement of said pairs of rollers with the vertical movement of all of said pairs of rollers with the rotation of the Wheel blank through said turning means.

4. The control of claim 3 in which said pair of rollers being operative radially With respect to the Wheel blank by said turning means is said first pair of rollers.

5. In a Wheel forming machine for forming a contoured wheel having different thicknesses, the combina-v tion of a wheel rotating means, a plurality of pairs of opposing rollers operative for vertical movement by said wheel rotating means and positioned on different wheel thicknesses, said pairs of rollers having paths of moveg ment on-the surface of the Wheel blank in overlapping relationship one to the other to compress simultaneously dierent thicknesses of the wheel blank, control means for relating the speed of said wheel rotating means to all y of said pairs of rollers for verticalmovement andvto at least one of said pairs of rollers for radial movement with respect to the Wheel blank, whereby the speed of 10 said wheel rotating means and said'control means controlsreduction in thickness and radial growth ofthe wheel blank.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 

